Bosnian Serb Ex-Serviceman Tried for Killing Civilian Prisoners

The trial of Goran Viskovic for crimes against humanity in the Vlasenica and Milici areas in 1992 and 1993 opened on Wednesday at the B osnian state court in Sarajevo.

The indictment alleges that Viskovic, alias Vjetar (Wind), a wartime member of the Bosnian Serb Army military police, participated in the persecution, murders and illegal detentions of non-Serb civilians between April 1992 and the end of 1993.

"On several occasions, uniformed and armed, together with soldiers known to him, he participated in illegally depriving Bosniak civilians of their liberty, taking them to the Vlasenica [police] Public Security Station, the municipal court and the Susica prison facility, and committing other inhumane acts with the intention of inflicting serious physical or psychological injury or impairing their health," the prosecution said when announcing the indictment.

Prosecutor Dzevad Muratbegovic said that Viskovic participated in the murders of eight Bosniak detainees after they had been taken from a hangar at the Susica detention camp near Vlasenica.

Muratbegovic said one of the Bosniak civilians begged Viskovic not to assault him, telling him: "Goran, please don't beat me."

According to the charges, he tortured the by making them do forced labour and making them hit each other. He is also accused of participating in the mistreatment of Bosniak women.

Viskovic is further charged with threatening to kill a man by putting a pistol into his mouth, and forcing some beaten Bosniak prisoners to clean up their own blood after he tortured them.

Viskovic entered a not guilty plea on July 15.

He is already serving an 18-year sentence for crimes against non-Serbs in the Vlasenica municipality, including two rapes, after...